Union encourages anyone needing mental health support to seek confidential assistance
One public service worker took their own life over the weekend, according to both the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the union representing CBSA workers.
The incident happened on Saturday.
The CBSA worker died by suicide at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI, the CBSA confirmed in a statement.
“Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the family, friends and colleagues of a respected member of the CBSA community who worked in the Southern Ontario Region. Out of respect for loved ones, no further information will be shared,” said the CBSA, according to a CTV News report.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) also shared their sympathy to those affected by the incident.
“We wish to express our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased — our thoughts are with all who are affected by these difficult circumstances,” the union said in a statement.
We wish to express our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased — our thoughts are with all who are affected by these difficult circumstances.
At around 10 am on Saturday, Windsor Police announced that incoming traffic to the bridge had been rerouted amid an investigation on the scene.
Incoming traffic to Canada was rerouted to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the police said via social media platform X.
The bridge was reopened around 3:15 pm, according to a CBC report.
Mental health support mechanisms
The incident happened just less than two weeks after PSAC and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) released the Joint Study on Mental Health Support Mechanisms for Employees, which is focused on improving mental health support for federal employees.
The study found that although mental health resources are available, it's unclear how frequently they are used or how effective they are. It also highlighted the need for better systems to identify psychological risks in the workplace.
The report emphasizes the need to:
- Equip workers and managers with mental health knowledge to identify risks.
- Strengthen informal peer support networks.
- Provide recovery options for affected employees.
It also recommends that employees and managers participate in joint training. This approach helps build stronger peer networks and improves engagement, with managers playing a key role in program success.
